It’s a mixed bag of titles this week, with very few covers that are all win or all lose.  Sometimes it’s only one detail that tips a cover from a thumbs up to a thumbs down, and it looks like a duck face is where I draw that line.  If you could tweak one detail on a cover to change it from thumbs down to thumbs up, what would it be? 

On a Dark Wing by Jordan Dane 

(Click to enlarge)

Description: "The choices I had made led to the moment when fate took over. I would learn a lesson I wasn’t prepared for. And Death would be my willing teacher." Five years ago Abbey Chandler cheated Death. She survived a horrific car accident, but her lucky break came at the expense of her mother’s life and changed everything. After she crossed paths with Death—by taking the hand of an ethereal boy made of clouds and sky—she would never be normal again. Now she’s the target of Death’s Ravens and an innocent boy’s life is on the line. When Nate Holden—Abbey’s secret crush—starts to climb Alaska’s Denali, the Angel of Death is with him because of her. Abbey finds out the hard way that Death never forgets. No Author Comment Available.

Series: N/A Artist: N/A Goodreads: Link	Publisher: Harlequin Teen Release Date: December 27, 2011 Source: Author’s Blog
Julia’s Thoughts	Abigail’s Thoughts
I like the birds and the over all cover composition, but his wings don’t look quite right.  I think I’d like it better if the wings complimented the angle of the birds across the title.	I agree completely.  Overall I’m a fan, but his wings are almost shaped like a butterfly.

Previous Covers in This Series

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*This title will be released on August 30, 2011*

Title: Succubus Revealed Author: Richelle Mead Series: Georgina Kincaid #6 Cover Art: N/A Genre: Urban Fantasy Excerpt: Yes Source: Publisher Reviewed by: Julia Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Kensington; August 30, 2011 ISBN-10: 0758232012 ISBN-13: 978-0758232014 Sexual Content: Several sex scenes, references to sex. Rating: Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now & put this author on your watch list.

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*This title will be released on August 23, 2011*

Title: Bloodlines Author: Richelle Mead Series: Bloodlines #1 Cover Art: N/A Genre: Paranormal YA Excerpt: Yes Source: Publisher Reviewed by: Abigail Reading level: Young Adult Hardcover: 432 pages Publisher: Razorbill (August 23, 2011) ISBN-10: 1595143173 ISBN-13: 978-1595143174 Sexual Content: References to sex. References to rape. Rating: Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now & put this author on your watch list.

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Description

The first book in Richelle Mead's brand-new teen fiction series - set in the same world as Vampire Academy.

When alchemist Sydney is ordered into hiding to protect the life of Moroi princess Jill Dragomir, the last place she expects to be sent is a human private school in Palm Springs, California. But at their new school, the drama is only just beginning.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Bloodlines explores all the friendship, romance, battles and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive - this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone's out for blood.

Review

BLOODLINES is the first book in a new series of the same name by Richelle Mead, a spinoff of her hugely popular Vampire Academy series. BLOODLINES pairs a gentle, somewhat shy Moroi vampire with a much tougher, bolder protector at an exclusive boarding school.  There is also an illicit romance that develops where one party would be violating certain societal rules if they pursued it.  Sound familiar?  Richelle Mead has no problem continuing with the relationship dynamics that made the Vampire Academy series so successful and, in this case, I’m so glad she did.

The Moroi vampire is Jill, the sister of Vasilisa, and the protector is the alchemist Sydney, who helped clear Rose’s name in the Vampire Academy series.  And poor Adrian may not have gotten the girl last time, but things are looking much better for him in BLOODLINES.  While, it's not necessary to have read the Vampire Academy series to enjoy BLOODLINES, I will say that if you haven't read them, you are missing out on the finer details of this world and much of the intricate backstory of the characters, specifically Adrian. 

Sydney was not a character I really ever warmed up to in the Vampire Academy series, but launching out on her own in BLOODLINES, I came away with a much improved impression of her.  She had a naïveté that did irritate me from time to time as I tended to be a step or two ahead of her at all times when it came to figuring out who was deceiving her, and I do not understand how she could breath the same air as Keith once it was revealed what he had done, but she also had an honest and very compassionate demeanor that made it so easy to root for her.  She has a lot of baggage from her upbringing as an Alchemist, mostly in regards to the unnaturalness of vampires, that I cheered to see get chipped away as the story progressed.  She has a long way to go, but I'm looking forward to seeing that aspect of her personality change.

Adrian was the real star of BLOODLINES for me.  I loved him in the Vampire Academy series, and even though I’m glad that the romances worked out the way they did in that series, I’m thrilled to see Adrian get this second chance at happiness.  As you can imagine, he’s a mess in BLOODLINES.  He moves from one excess to the next while trying to stamp out the pain from loosing the one he loved.  He still has that trademark sarcasm and charm that allows him to get away with a lot and still have readers loving him. 

I don’t have room here to discuss how wonderful this world is.  I will say that both Vampire Academy and now Bloodlines share all the hallmarks of great paranormal YA series.  Gripping characters, blurred moral lines, epic romance, and stellar supernatural details.  The next book in the Bloodlines series is called THE GOLDEN LILY and will be published on May 1, 2012.

Previous Books in Series	Also Reviewed By:
N/A	Good Books and Good Wine Bloody Bookaholic – 4/5 Welcome to – A-

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Title: Succubus Blues Author: Richelle Mead Series: Georgina Kincaid #1 Cover Art: N/A Genre: Urban Fantasy Excerpt: Yes Source: Bought Reviewed by: Abigail Paperback: 320 pages Publisher: Zebra; Reprint edition (August 1, 2010) ISBN-10: 9780821780770 ISBN-13: 978-0821780770 Sexual Content: Two graphic sex scenes. Rating: Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now & put this author on your watch list.

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Description

When it comes to jobs in hell, being a succubus seems pretty glamorous. A girl can be anything she wants, the wardrobe is killer, and mortal men will do anything just for a touch. Granted, they often pay with their souls, but why get technical?

But Seattle succubus Georgina Kincaid's life is far less exotic. At least there's her day job at a local bookstore—free books; all the white chocolate mochas she can drink; and easy access to bestselling, sexy writer, Seth Mortensen, aka He Whom She Would Give Anything to Touch but Can't.

But dreaming about Seth will have to wait. Something wicked is at work in Seattle's demon underground. And for once, all of her hot charms and drop-dead one-liners won't help because Georgina's about to discover there are some creatures out there that both heaven and hell want to deny…

"Mead cooks up an appetizing debut that blends romantic suspense with a fresh twist on the paranormal."--Booklist

"The mix of supernatural mystery, romance and reluctant succubus is great fun." --Locus

"An engaging read."--Jim Butcher, New York Times bestselling author

Review

I’m such a snob.  I avoided this book for a long time primarily because I didn’t like the cover.  That’s pretty much it.  But the moment they repackaged it with a pretty new cover and I’m sold (well that and the fact that I loved Richelle’s Vampire Academy series.  Plus the $4.79 Kindle price didn’t hurt either).  Stupid, shallow, and thrifty.  That’s me.  Every time I write a review like this one, I swear I’ll never again judge a book by its cover because I might miss out on another fun and sexy read like SUCCUBUS BLUES.

Georgina is an excellent UF protagonist torn between what she needs to survive as a succubus: sex, and what she craves as a human: love.  The problem being that any one she actually cares about she can’t even touch because her succubus nature would steal away part of their life.  Whoever thought being a succubus would suck so much?

I was surprised by the lighter tone of SUCCUBUS BLUES compared to most books in the urban fantasy genre.  It’s almost like a cross between a traditional urban fantasy and a paranormal chick-lit title.  Light and funny in moments, smoldering and sexy the next, and dark and dangerous too.  Somehow they all work together and the result is a blast to read.  There are currently five books in the Georgina Kincaid series so far with number six, SUCCUBUS REVEALED, releasing on August 30, 2011, after only one book, I can tell that so many books to look forward to is a very good thing.

Previous Books in Series	Also Reviewed By:
N/A	Brooke Reviews Bloody Bookaholic Smexy Books